Biliary colic is an acute condition of the bile ducts caused by the temporary obstruction of the cystic duct or the common bile duct by gallstones. Typically, patients with biliary colic have a sudden onset, with pain in the upper right abdomen that varies in severity. In severe cases, the pain is unbearable, causing the patient to roll around, groan incessantly, and have a pale complexion with profuse sweating. The pain is mostly intermittent and colicky but can also be continuous, radiating to the right shoulder or upper back, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, biliary colic falls under the categories of "hypochondriac pain" and "gallbladder distension." The pathogenesis of this condition mainly involves qi stagnation, damp-heat, gallstones, and blood stasis, which lead to the depression of the gallbladder qi and the loss of smooth flow of bile. The disease is located in the gallbladder, which has the closest relationship with the liver and stomach.
Liver and Gallbladder Qi Stagnation Type: Distending pain in the right hypochondriac region, pain radiating to the right shoulder, exacerbated by anger, chest and epigastric bloating, frequent sighing, frequent belching, swallowing of sour and foul breath; the tongue coating is white and greasy, and the pulse is tight and full.
Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Type: Severe pricking pain in the right hypochondriac region, pain in a fixed location that worsens with pressure, dark complexion, dry mouth and bitter taste; the tongue appears purple and dark or has ecchymotic spots on the edges, and the pulse is tight, thin, and choppy.
Gallbladder Heat Depression Type: Burning pain in the right hypochondriac region, bitter taste in the mouth, dry throat, red face, red eyes, constipation, short and red urine, irritability, insomnia, and easy anger; the tongue is red, the coating is yellow, thick, and dry, and the pulse is tight and rapid.
Liver and Gallbladder Damp-Heat Type: Distending pain in the right hypochondriac region, chest oppression with poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, bitter taste in the mouth, irritability, sticky stools, or jaundice may be present; the tongue is red, the coating is yellow and greasy, and the pulse is tight and slippery.
Yin Deficiency and Stasis Type: Dull pain in the right hypochondriac region, or a slight sensation of burning, dry mouth and throat, irritability and easy anger, restlessness and heat in the chest, dizziness and blurred vision, low fever in the afternoon; the tongue is red with little coating, and the pulse is thin and rapid.
Yang Deficiency and Stasis Type: There is a dull and distending pain that comes and goes, abdominal bloating and pain, aversion to cold and cold limbs, fatigue and lack of energy, shortness of breath and reluctance to speak; the tongue is pale, the coating is white, and the pulse is tight, weak, and forceless.
It is recommended to perform moxibustion once a day, targeting 2 to 3 acupoints each time, with each acupoint being treated for 30 to 40 minutes. Rotate the points treated, with a 10-day period constituting one course of treatment, and then rest for 2 to 3 days before continuing with the next course. (If time permits and there is a need, more acupoints can be treated with moxibustion. The specific duration should be adjusted according to one's own physical needs.)
1. Patients should avoid overeating and eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods to prevent an increase in blood cholesterol levels. 2. Pay attention to dietary intake, especially the supplementation of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Among them, vitamin K is effective in controlling bleeding caused by certain types of jaundice. 3. Moxibustion can be used as an auxiliary conditioning method, but it is also important to seek medical attention in a timely manner when necessary.